How Tua Tagovailoa’s injured ankle gets treatment on Heisman trip

As the mob of photographers snapped shots of Tua Tagovailoa posing with the stiff-armed statue, an amateur shooter with an iPhone moved in for a shot.

New York in early December wasn’t on Jeff Allen’s itinerary and he wishes he wasn’t in the Heisman entourage. But if he’s here, might as well snap a pic in the photo op seven floors above the New York Stock Exchange.

Allen here because he’s Alabama football’s head athletic trainer and Tagovailoa needs him. That high-ankle sprain needs almost constant care in the recovery from surgery even if he’s in New York for Saturday night’s Heisman Trophy ceremony. Tagovailoa went down in Saturday’s SEC Championship and said he absolutely plans to play in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29.

Allen is Tagovailoa’s new shadow.

"Yeah, so if I'm not talking to media,” Tagovailoa said Friday before ringing the closing bell at the stock market, “if I'm not with the Heisman committee... Any chance that I get to go back to my room, Jeff is with me all the time. It's something I don't like but I'm very appreciative of it. If it's going to get me a lot better quicker, then I'm more than open to it."

Jeff Allen, Alabama's head athletic trainer, takes a shot of Tua Tagovailoa posing with Heisman Trophy on Friday at the New York Stock Exchange.

The injury also led to a few new accessories. There’s the standard walking boot on Tagovailoa’s left leg, but it’s his four-wheel drive scooter that’s getting all the attention.

It’s outfitted with two Alabama script-A stickers -- one on the front and another on a wheel -- and a drink holder. It also turns into a chair. After grabbing a snack post interviews, Tagovailoa slid the key out of its resting place and took a load off chatting with Allen.

All of this is necessary if Tagovailoa is to make it back to play in this ambitious time table. Saban said he thinks Tagovailoa will be able to practice two weeks after the injury and the quarterback feels good.

“I wouldn’t be able to explain it and I don’t think I should go into details,” Tagovailoa said Friday, “but things have been looking really good my leg as far as how I’m feeling and how I’m going about things.”

Allen was on the private plane from Tuscaloosa to Atlanta for Thursday night’s award show. Then from there, another flight to New York for the Heisman festivities. The strain is heavy, Tagovailoa said, and he isn’t participating in every event so he can get some rest and treatment.

“I’m very tired,” Tagovailoa said Friday. “I think a lot of it has to do with the pain medications too.”

Several times on Friday Tagovailoa thanked the university for sending Allen along for this award-show ride. Injuries like this are just part of life, Tagovailoa said. All this is going on with a tight-race for the Heisman coming to a head Saturday night. The Alabama quarterback said this whole trip hasn’t hit him yet.

“Honestly, I haven’t had time to really think too much of ‘Wow, this is really happening’ or to soak everything in because I’ve been getting treatment every time I go back to my room,” Tagovailoa said. “Guys coming in and checking to see if I’m good or whatnot. I’m just looking at trying to get better right now and when tomorrow night comes, I think you can worry about it.”

This is a moment Tagovailoa admits he’s dreamed about his whole life. Those visions just didn’t include a bulky walking boot and a traveling medical staff.

But the quarterback smiles talking about his new lead blocker named Jeff Allen.

"New best friend right here," he said.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.